1. Field of the Subject Disclosure
The subject disclosure relates to managing personal information on a network. More specifically, the subject disclosure relates to managing layers of permissions for various information items associated with a user.
2. Background of the Subject Disclosure
As the information age progresses, an increasing concern is privacy of personal information. For instance, many websites on the World Wide Web (WWW) require a user to input or submit personal information before providing content. This personal information, along with other data of a user such as pictures, videos, user preferences, etc. becomes subject to the control and domain of the website hosting such information. More importantly, this information is explicitly removed from the user's domain, as anyone who has submitted content to a website can confirm upon reading the terms and conditions. Further, users frequently electronically disseminate data to entities, such as medical records to insurance companies and medical professionals, or financial data to lenders, etc. This information is again under the dominion and control of the entity requesting such information. With increasing reports of security breaches of databases, phishing, and identity theft, the lack of control a user has over their own personal information is a growing cause for concern.